Munchen

Our day in Munich was sorted by the hotel’s complimentary map, which included a walk around the main sights of the city and to make it really easy it left from and returned to the hotel.  Done, sold!

We set off after breakfast at about 9:30am and didn’t get back to the hotel until nearly 4:30pm.  Here’s what we saw….

First stop – the Milka chocolate shop.  The kids were in heaven picking their own bar, although Jeremy agonised and I mean AGONISED over his choice.  He fluffed and farted around and then in the tenth hour changed his mind and ran back for a last minute switch.  On his way back to the cash register (we were in the process of buying at this stage) down he went – splat on the floor and splat went his freshly and finally selected block of chocolate.  Oh dear!

Anyway – we spent way to long in here, but the dividends paid off over then next 2 days.

Next up was the Viktualienmarkt markets.  Vendors can only sell natural and homemade products – fruit, vegetables, honey, cider, craft items etc.  The markets were colourful and had some lovely Christmas craft items that you are not (and I repeat NOT) allowed to photograph.  I got a good two-minute German telling off for taking one of the pictures below L.

Marienplatz is at the heart of Munich and is impressive…

And then Steve found his own brand of heaven in the Hofbrauhaus – one of the largest and most famous beer halls in the world, complete with band playing ooh pah pah music.  To make it a truly German experience we had a wurst with sauerkraut for lunch.

And then we saw something that you normally wouldn’t associate with Munich.  Surfing – yes surfing!  Not at the beach of course, but in a fast flowing and as the name “Eisbach” suggests, very cold river.  The narrow width of the river, the fast flowing water, submerged rocks and the side walls all make this a dangerous sport.  While it has been done since the early 1970’s Munich river surfing was only legalized in 2010, apparently greatly assisted by the publicity provided by the internet.  Read more here if you’re interested.

And then on to something far more sedate, the lovely garden, made all the more lovely by the cello player and his stirring rendition of Frank Sinatra’s my way.  I had no idea that song would sound so beautiful on the cello.

Then, for the second night in a row we had Turkish for dinner – doner kebaps X 5.  Mmm Mmmm.